Mardi Gras 2017 was a lot of fun! The food was delicious and plentiful, the face painting was a big hit, and the band had everyone up on their feet dancing.

We’d like to thank the Old Skool Detroit Band for entertaining us with classic rock hits all evening. There was a nice mix of songs – fast and slow – that made our dancers happy. We’d also like to thank Joelene Brzezinski of Cat’s Meow Face Design for her face painting. It was fun to watch how she painted everyone differently, and it was hard to pick a favorite. Everyone looked great.

Finally, we’d like to thank our very capable members who made the event possible. Nancy Fruit and her kitchen crew spent days planning, shopping, and preparing the food. Her helpers were Dave Walker, Nancy Shrove, Ryan Wojtyna, Gary Smith, Bruce Saffron, Nancy Blackwood, Joanna Paton and Barb Tomlinson.

Our decorating committee includes Rozanne Ogger and Dianne Cullen, along with their helpers Kelley Sherwood and Virginia Truran. They spent days decorating the Aerie and setting up centerpieces on the tables. Our guests said everything looked very festive and welcoming.

Our JOES (Junior Order of Eagles) did a wonderful job helping serve coffee, clear tables, wash dishes or take out the trash. They were a lot of help, and it’s nice to know our youth are taking seriously our “People Helping People” motto.

A big thank you also to our employees for working so hard to help out. We appreciate your dedication more than you know.

So, thank you everyone, and thank you to all of our guests. We’re happy you could spend the evening with us, and we hope to see you at our next event.